This invention relates to a device for loading a muzzle-loading gun, and more particularly to a loading block for a muzzle-loading gun.
In the conventional method of loading a muzzle-loading gun, such as a musket, the musket ball or minie ball is wrapped in a greased patch and placed into the open muzzle of the gun. An insertion tool is then manually employed to force the patch and ball into the open end of the muzzle. Then a ramrod is employed to force the charge, including the musket ball and patch, down the barrel toward the breech of the gun.
A musket ball insertion tool is disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 3,747,252, issued July 24, 1973.
A single charge, muzzle-loading device is disclosed in the Clark U.S. Pat. No. 1,565, issued Apr. 24, 1840.
Multiple-charge loading devices for the muzzle loading of firearms are disclosed in the Phillips U.S. Pat. No. 163,404, issued May 18, 1875 and in the Hovis U.S. Pat. No. 184,079, issued Nov. 7, 1876. Both the Phillips and Hovis patents disclose a rotatable cylindrical loading device including circumferentially spaced charge-receiving holes. Each charge-receiving hole has to be aligned with the muzzle of the gun by rotating the cylinder containing the holes.